[uf-discuss] Paving the cowpaths?

[Ryan King]

On Nov 24, 2005, at 6:45 AM, Simon Kittle wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've a question regarding microformats and whether they might be  
> applicable
> to a problem I'm trying to solve.  As I read the 'process' on the
> microformat wiki I come up against things which seem to deem them
> unsuitable, but I wanted to post to ask the experts.
>
> The (initial) problem I'm trying to solve is that of storing a log of
> telephone calls made and received in a structured manner.  I'm  
> guessing this
> hits a problem straight away in that it's not really a cowpath.   
> People
> don't generally do this at the moment - although, many people keep  
> these
> records, they just don't publish them. (And they are usually  
> incomplete
> because they're just the "last 50 calls" list on a phone.)

So, maybe there's no need for  µF here, but you could still take the  
Semantic XHTML approach in solving this problem. Remember, µFs are an  
outgrowth of semantic XHTML in general

> I keep a "last 6 months call list" and find it really useful. (It's  
> in CSV
> at the moment, from my smartphone)  I also keep notes on some calls (a
> 'communications log' with all those pesky utility companies, is the  
> most
> common type).  What I do at the moment is "publish" that in OneNote  
> which is
> disconnected to the source calls list and a bit of hard work to  
> maintain.
> I've seen other people keep these kind of notes too, some in an ultra
> organised fashion (MS Journal), and some in a less organised fashion.
>
> What I'd like to do is have these events hanging from a timeline -
> preferrably one searchable, linkable, and preferably in a format  
> both human
> readable (first) and then also machine readable.  This is where the  
> blog
> comes in.  A blog running on my local PC storing all this info.
>
>
> The ultimate vision is obviously far more than storing notes on a  
> few phone
> calls.  A log of all exercise done perhaps. (Currently in a  
> notebook, but
> more usefully as part of a time-orientated info repositary  
> browseable by me
> and processable by my machines.
>
> Given that microformats are about paving them cowpaths, and given  
> that this
> isn't one in the sense that people aren't blogging like this now, am I
> barking up the wrong tree?  In many ways the structing of XHTML that
> microformats provides is so well suited I wanted to post and get some
> thoughts.

Like I say above, there's probably not room here for a microformat  
(how many people is 80% of one person, anyway?), but you could  
certainly store and/or publish your data in semantic xhtml, using  
microformats where appropriate.

-ryan
--
Ryan King
ryan at technorati.com